Four men charged with marching in the street after Fall River protest

FALL RIVER — Four men face disorderly conduct charges after participating in a Black Lives Matter rally at Lafayette Park on Saturday afternoon.

Fall River police said about 100 protesters participated in the event, which was held to draw attention to incidents of police brutality against Black Americans nationwide. Police said officers joined the protesters as they marched peacefully around Lafayette Park, in the Flint neighborhood.

At 5:20 p.m., about an hour after the protest had begun to wind down, officers saw a fight break out and called additional units to the park. Police said they also saw a group of about 20 people walking in the street and on the sidewalk, large enough to block both for travel, causing drivers to have to stop and pedestrians to leave the sidewalk. Police said the group proceeded west, toward the center of the city.

"The group remained unruly and was looking to riot among other peaceful protesters," stated Lt. Jay D. Huard, Fall River press information officer.

Radio reports on Saturday indicated that police temporarily blocked off street traffic nearby for safety reasons and monitored various groups of people as they marched, at one point dispatching officers to monitor the area around police headquarters on Pleasant Street.

Around the area of County Street, police said, officers asked those marching to stay on the sidewalk and not in the street. Four men refused and continued to march in the street, police said, and were arrested.

Craig Costa, 31, of 438 Buffinton St., Fall River; Valdemar Rego, 41, of 95 Evergreen Ave., Somerset; Dylan Alves, 21, of 11 Waterford Circle, Dighton; and Gabriel Leite, 18, of 774 Pictures Way, Hyannis, were all charged with unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

“Today, members of the Fall River Police Department attended a peaceful demonstration at Lafayette Park. We left the park feeling proud of the relationship building that had been accomplished," stated Police Chief Jeffrey Cardoza. "We respect the right of all to peacefully assemble and protest.”